Sign with interchangeable characters



Aug. 26, 1952 T. J. BENNETT SIGN WITH INTERCHANGEABLE CHARACTERS Fil ed Oct. 14. 1949 ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 26, 1952 SIGN' WITH INTERCHANGEABLE 1 CHARACTERS TonrJ. Bennett, Oklahoma City, Okla. Application October 14, 1949, Serial-No. 121,314.-

1. Claim.

Myinventionrelates. to signs, such as are suit-- able. for display along roadways, streets and.

highways, and are; required to be visible to tion is. in. certain respects an improvement upon.

the. sign. of said? application;

The chief object of the. present invention, is.

to; provide; an improved sign on which the indicia may be: easily and quickly applied, and as easily; changed: without impairing, the light reflecting: character'oftheindicia. and the. legibility thereof.

A. further object is: to provide: a newindicia unit; or sign character, such as a numeral or letter: suitable to be applied to or: removed. from. the body of the; sign by: hand.

further.- object; is; the provision of a new method of mounting: active light reflecting, mate rial: upon a suitable background for making up the; novel indicia. above referred to.

Irr. the signs. I. originally put out: under the:

aioresaid. application,. I. prepared numerals. by"

mounting scotch; light?" fabric on a backing sheet. of; paper cardboard or thelike, and-cuttingout; the desired: numerals. These. numerals were: carefully registered on the plate, pressed; flat; against the plate: and cemented thereto. lknow that;it 15:016.; tomount-d'etachable numerals and letters; onto; a mounting board, but I. observedthat signs employing such characters generally look; rough: and: uneven. in daylight and; were illegiblaby reflected light at. night. This I ascer tained generally comes from the fact that. the. bodies of? the. letters or numerals are.- not' registered. in the: same: plane, and also the bodies of. the letters, warp: or: are-bent: out of a plane,

and hence they reflect light cast upon them in.

various directions: due to, such bent or warped conditions ,Hence, they are. frequently illegible at the distance at which: they must be. read.

Thatis. to; say, evenif: the; bodies: of such. letters.

or; numeralswere. accurately flat in. optically per-- feet-planes, like? the-surface of. plateglass, mount ing them.by hand..upon a. background. by readily attachable: and detachable means would havethe effiectof. establishing: those; planes of the in-- dividual: lettersi tilted: slightly relative to; each other; in; various; directions: and. reflected. light,

as. from, the, headlights: of. an automob le, would be cast in various directions, and some oi the letters might be visible and some: would notbe visible at all. r

Likewise, if the body of the lettersor numerals should. be warped or bent outof a strict optical plane, reflected light from. one part of the bodywould be. cast in one.- direction and' another part in another direction, with. the overall result that the reflected image of. the letter would ap pear to the observer to be. mutilated and; the letter would be illegible.

I observed. that the.- flat numerals which. 1 applied to the board or body of myearly formof. sign had the property of reflecting: back light; cast upon the same, through a fairly wide angle. The said numerals covered with the minute colored glass beads give about the same reflection: from various viewpoints, i. e., the observer and light source being anywhere within a wide angle of a linenormal to the plane of the-sign; "That; is to say, assume you are sitting in an automobile with headlights shining straight, ahead. and; assume the headlights strike a flat surface covered. with this colored glass beadmaterial. It; is not necessary thatfthe plane of'the. surface.- so treated be presented-squarely to thelight and. to the eye of. the observerfor the sign: to be: plainly-visible. Thesign may be standin'g ,.at: quite. an angle to the-incident light, yet a strong;

light is reflected back. to the eye of the. observer: 1

that a: person approaching the number from either direction can read' the sign. This. is par-" ticularly desirable at night. Where the numerals are-glued or stuck'on. the'plate, this pre:-'--' sents no particular problem, but for asign in: which the numerals are to'b'ev applied to the field;

i. e., at the location of. the sale, the problem of attaching thev same: set of. numerals in reverse' order and; doing it neatly presents a serious problem. 5

However, I.found that the samequalityabove described, and which made the numerals legible even though somewhat warped or bent" out"'ofa plane made itpossible toclinch" the tab of the from an unwanted sign and be used in making up another numeral combination without im-' pairing the light reflecting character of the tabs or of the bodies of the numerals.

Now in order to acquaint thoseskilled inthe art with the manner of constructing and operating a device embodying my'invention; I shall describe, in connection with the accompanying drawing in which like reference numerals indicate like parts, the preferred embodiment of the same. F i

In the drawings: 1-

Figure l is a front elevational view of a sign embodying my invention; V

Figure 2 is atransverse section of the same taken onthe line 2, 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary back elevational view of that portion of the sign illustrated in Figur 1 immediately above Figure 3; I

Figure 4 is an elevational view of an individual numeral showing the attaching tabs;

Figure 5 is a diagram of the mechanism for applying the light reflecting coating to the aluminum sheet; and

I Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the light reflecting beadlike particlesadhesively bonded to the surface of the metal backing.

The preferred form of the invention, as shown in .Figures'l to 4 inclusive, involves three main structural parts, namely, the inverted generally U-shaped frame l, the plate 2, and the detachable numerals 3.

-'The frame I consists, in generahof a piece of holdin the sign. This frame maybe made of iron 'o'r where, from the nature of the soil, corrosion might b excessive, the frame may be made of a'stainless steel rod. As disclosed in my prior copending 'application, the frame may b made partly of tubular stock with legs of solid rod stock. T

The plate 2.is made-of sheet metal and in the specific example herein illustrated, this may be aluminum sheet, semi-hard, .025 in thickness. The frame and plate are preferably given a coating of black paint orenamel, or they may otherwise becoated and preferably brought to a dark neutralcolor. Aluminum is used to avoid rust.

A row of seven horizontal slots 5, 5, about x and about 1 /4 apart on centers, are punched in the plate 2 near the upper margin of the same, and asimilar row of seven slots 5, 6, 5

registering vertically with the slots 5, 5, 5 ispunched in the sheetadjacent the lower'margin' The rows may be approximately 2%" apart on a plate face of approximately 5%" x 10 The uppercorners of the sheet are cut off, and

theedgesof the sheet at top'and side are curled over the frame I to produce the curled edges 1, 8 attop and sides, respectively. The sign char-,

acters, which in this case are numerals, are made of dead soft aluminum sheets, approximately .016" in thickness, and are coated on their exposed or outer faces, including the integral mounting tabs, with a light-reflecting material, consisting essentially of small beadlike particles of glass. Obviously, letters or other indicia may be employed. The dimensions given for a numeral sign are by way of example, and not by way of limitation. Letters and numerals may be employed, and the size and spacing suitable for the same may be utilized within my invention.

' The outline of the numerals has been designed to make the sign as legible as possible when the characters are spaced according to the uniform spacing required by the slots 5, 6 in the plate 2.

'At Figure 4 I have shown, for example, the numeral 3, .as consisting of the main body portion I 0 and tabs [2, I2 integral with the body portion It]. The body portion 10 and the tabs are provided with a light reflecting surface consisting of a layer of minute glass beads or beadlike particles of glass, partly embedded in an elastic adhesive bonded to the surface of the numeral.

These numerals are adapted to be applied to the board or plate 2 with the bare hands only. It

will beobserved that in the preferred embodi-l ment here described, by way of illustration, there are seven slots in each row, and that the numerals Y for a four place numeral are fastened in the first, third, fifth and seventh pair of holes. three-place number, the numerals would be located in the second, fourth and'si'xth holes. :For

a two-place number the numerals would befas Hence, in the example herein illustrated, employ ing the number 1034, to have thesignread the same on each side, it is necessary that the nu meral 4 be on the side opposite the numeral 1 shown in Figure 1'; that the" numeral 3 be on the other side of'the numeral Oof Figure 1; that the i numeral 0 be on the opposite side of the numeral 3 shown in Figure 1, and that the numeral 1 be on the opposite side of the numeral 4 shown in Figure l. 'Figurel shows theside of the sign' in which the edges of the plate 2 have been curled over, and, hence, may be regarded as the backside .of .the sign. That is because in the" preferred form of the sign the plate 2 lies in a plane tangent to one side of the frame. Ob-

viously, the plate could be held in the plane of Y the frame.

As shown in sectionin Figure 2, the numerals are first applied to the backside of the sign by bending the tabs l2, l2 at substantially right angles to the body It], and inserting the same through the slots 5, 6 at top and bottom, and then clinching them overas indicated at l3, I; in

Figure 2.

After the numerals have beenapplied to the backside of the sign and their tabs clinched over plied on'the back of the plate 2 do not show on the front; since they are concealed by the bodies "-of the numerals on the-front of theplate'Z, but

For a the. tabs. of-the numerals-om theMIdnt ofithe plate. 2; are clinchedi over;- andishom on the: face ofttherboldi'es. off the minerals 011217118; backzofi the plate 2. This does-incttsubstantiallydetractjfrom thelf'gl'it'piieflectingability of the overlapped numerals.

The light refiectin'g-s's'urface which is applied to. the facet of, the.- numerals; and, their, tabs, as shown on an enlarged scale in-LEigure6,-; consists of a greatvnumher of minute beadlike colored glass particles [5; partly embeddedin a layer l6 of amela'stic adhesive whichisi mounted upon the metal ll. of the sign. character; "The preferred cdl'o'r isgreen. There are various ways of producingthis-bead covered surfaceg as, for example, the. metal 1 maybe coated? with the elastic adliesiilelayer I 6. and- -the glass-beads thereupon applied w "the same 7 and partlyfembedded and bound by the said adhesive IS. The adhesive may be set by drying out a solvent, or by baking the same, or in other ways familiar to those skilled in the art.

An advantageous way of applying the light refleeting coating to the surface of the numerals is illustrated in Figure 5. There is found on the market a material known as scotch light fabric, manufactured by Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Company, consisting of a sheet of plastic material, coated on one side with beadlike particles of glass embedded therein. This material may be secured in strips, and rolled up in a roll as indicated at l8 in Figure 5. The backside of the sheet which does not have any of the glass beads thereupon, but which consists solely of the adhesive material I6, i rendered tacky by spraying the same as indicated at I9 with a-solvent by means of a spray nozzle or the like. The sheet 22, rendered sticky by the application of the solvent spray, is carried forward a sufficient distance to insure the effectiveness of the solvent upon the surface of the sheet 22, and then the sheet 22 and a corresponding strip of aluminum sheet ll are passed between the elastic rollers 23, 23 to produce the composite sheet 24, which consists of the dead soft metallic backing H, the layer of adhesive [6, and the beadlike particles of glass I5, as shown in section in Figure 6. The individual numerals may then be cut out by a punch and die, or by a strip die, as may be desired. It is desirable, in the interest of good workmanship and minimum of space, to have the numeral and its integral ears or tabs perfectly flat when coming from the cutting die, but it is not essential that it be so, because of the unique property of the reflecting surface to act throughout a wide angle of incidence.

The peculiar property of this light-reflecting surface is explained in the fact that the surface is composed of minute spheres of glass, and the light entering at any point on a sphere is most strongly reflected back in the direction of entry, by internal reflection.

The mode of use, as heretofore explained, is such as to permit of a highly effective method of distribution and sales. The body of the sign, comprising the frame and plate, is fabricated and assembled, and a stock of the numerals made of dead soft metal, such as aluminum coated with the beadlight particles of glass by means of an adhesive layer of flexible character, is suitably manufactured and stocked. Aluminum is preferred because it is inexpensive and does not stain the surface of the sign.

In the foregoing specification, I have given certain dimensions by way of example, and hav in- 6 dicatecl: the materials .of'iwhicha the-evaridusapants mayrbezmadel. Theseespecificiinstruction .are-not: tozbetaken; asl limiting,- but. as illustrative; and toapprize thoseaslcilledgingthe art;of"the required characteristics .of theavariousipartsxor-openatioms The salesman loadsgup, a: stockof sign bodies; and a; stock1of: assortedmumerals; initheIflat; and goes along: a; street; either making; up theasigns, with the appropriatenumerals. ascheigoesialongz or'making them. up,;iff he so: wishes; atthebee ginning of: his; campaign .ona. particular .stneeit Usually; he. will; make? them up; as he goesalong; for: this obviates: thev necessity for preliminary sccrutingand. determining whatcnumberss are. re?

quiredi and; what: numbers,- are; not; required. :'I..o make-up aisig'ngrhe takes: twusetsaofftha apprnipriat'ennmerals tdmake up aihouse-numben; as: for? examplajNo. 1.0.3.45. as; illustrated; and; he applies the numerals left to right, first, on the back side of the sign plate, that is, the side illustrated in Figure 1, extending the tabs through the slots 5, 6, and clinches them over with the fingers on the front of the plate 2. Then he takes the other set of numerals 1034, and reading from left to right on the other side, he extends the tabs or ears through the slots 5, 6, and clinches them over on the back side over the body of the numerals previously placed, and the sign is ready for placement and use.

He then plants the signs at an advantageous location in the parkway along the curb, or wherever the sign is required, and preferably leaves it, first obtaining the consent of thehouseholder to the procedure, and with the assurance that the householder is not obligated to Day for the sign if he does not wish it, after seeing its effectiveness at night. A day or two later the salesman goes along the street, and asks the householders to purchase the signs which have been placed, and a surprisingly large percentage of householders do so. However, in case of no sale, the sign is taken up, the tabs on the back are quickly unclinched to remove the numerals on the front, and then the tabs which have thus been revealed are unclinched, and the numerals are taken off the back. The tabs may be straightened out and the numerals put back into stock, and may be used over again, with full effectiveness.

It will be apparent from inspection of Figure 2 that the soft metal numerals will very probably be slightly bent or warped by manipulation in fastening the numerals upon the plate 2, but this is immaterial, and is not noticeable, either in daylight or under artificial light, as when the numeral reflects the light from the headlights of an automobile.

The unique utility of this invention has made it possible for great numbers of the public to have effective signs readily legible to those seeking the location of a particularly numbered house or establishment.

The use of this invention in highway signs and markers is obvious.

I claim:

In a sign, the combination of a mounting plate having upper and lower mounting edges adapted to be disposed substantially horizontally, a pair of legible sign characters each comprising a metal body formed of thin dead soft aluminum of substantially uniform thickness throughout, said body having integral extensions at top and bottom in the form of bendable tabs, said body including said tabs having the front face thereof covered with a coating of elastic adhesive bonded to. said face, and a layer of light reflecting beadlike glass particles adhering to and covering the outer surface of the adhesive, said adhesive and particles providing a light reflecting coating over the surface of the body including said tabs, one of said characters lying against the front of the plate "and having the tabs clinched over the mounting edges of the plate, the other of said characters lying on the back of the plate and covering the clinched tabs of the first character, the tabs of the second character being clinched over the tabs of the first character and extending over the adjacent'to'p and bottom margins of the face of the first character, the light reflecting ability of said coating being substantially unaffected by the ,Warping and bending of the body out of a single plane incidental to bending of the tabs in mounting the body on said supporting plate, the

elastic adhesive coatingsyvith' beadlike surface layer being capable of conforming to the bending of the body and the tabs while retaining'the beadlike layer substantially intact; Y

- Y TOMJ.BENNETT.'

- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record'in'the file of this patent:

'UNI'I'ED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date "1,823,843 Riddle Sept. 15, 1931 1,840,419 Walling Jan. 12, 1932 1,913,385 Hamilton June 13, 1933 2,381,605 Leander Aug. '7, 1945 2,383,884 Palmqulst Aug. 28, 1945 2,403,752

' Phillippi July 9, 1946 

